@article{hbkup:/content/journals/10.5339/jemtac.2022.qhc.23, author = "Shillitoe, Sarah and Al-Anzi, Nadya and Gharib, Ramy and Gueddes, Ahmed and Ragbheer, Sunjay and David Morris, Brendon", title = "Improving wellbeing for COVID-19 patients at Umm Salal Isolation and Recovery Facility through expressive drawing (Art Therapy): A Service/Quality Improvement Initiative", journal= "Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care", year = "2022", volume = "2022", number = "1 - Qatar Health 2022 Conference abstracts", pages = "", doi = "https://doi.org/10.5339/jemtac.2022.qhc.23", url = "https://www.qscience.com/content/journals/10.5339/jemtac.2022.qhc.23", publisher = "Hamad bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press)", issn = "1999-7094", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "Mental Health", keywords = "Art Therapy", keywords = "Person-Centered Care", keywords = "COVID-19", keywords = "Wellbeing", eid = "23", abstract = "Background: COVID-19 has brought several patient challenges related to anxiety disorders impacting their wellbeing 1. According to Vaartio-Rajalin et al., 2, expressive art therapy (AT) has many advantages including mental health, physical, and social wellbeing. AT was introduced to COVID-19 patients on the 29th of May, 2021 as part of our Patient Wellbeing Programme launched at Umm Salal Isolation Facility (USIF) in Qatar. USIF provided patients with drawing tools to potentially promote health, social engagement, reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue as well as addressing social detriments such as loneliness and isolation 1. Promoting group and individual identities was claimed advantageous when considering the multi-cultural and diverse patient groups housed in the facility 2. The study was initiated by the nursing team to evaluate the effectiveness of the AT activity on patients’ feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. Methods: This was a prospective cohort mixed-method study. Art materials were provided to establish patients’ engagement. Art stations were set up at the patients’ facility where multi-language instructions explaining the activity were made visible. The artwork was collected from voluntary participants (907) once a week and evaluated during the study period (13 weeks) which provided quantitative data. An existing general patient experience questionnaire (PEQ) was used to collate qualitative data to support the aim of the study. Data analysis was completed using Excel. Results: 907 artwork submissions were collected from a total population of 1,600 COVID-19 patients. The average rate of participation was 8% weekly, over 13 weeks (Figure 1). 150 PEQ's were received from 907 patients where 98% of respondents felt that AT supports patients’ wellbeing in a confined facility like USIF. Conclusion: AT has been shown to improve patients’ perceived well-being by reducing feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. Participation remained very moderate and ways of promoting more engagement and a higher uptake need to be found.", }